Gig Harbor Undressed

Gig Harbor is a postcard

If I had any self control, I wouldn’t publish all these photos at once, but I can’t help it.  Another beautiful day yesterday, another great family walk through downtown Gig Harbor, more beautiful, postcard perfect photos.  I’m sure I’ll use these again somewhere else in the blog, but I wanted to show off how gorgeous Gig Harbor is!

It looks like you could just start climbing Mount Rainier from here!  On Saturday, a group of guys from my church will be snow shoeing there, so I’ll get some more photos!

Essentially the same view of Mt. Rainier over Gig Harbor’s bay, but I love the color of the water in this one.  I know that this is a frequently photographed site, but I never grow tired of this.  I’m not alone, as the sidewalks have been busy the past few weeks!

I think that these kayakers are part of Gig Harbor’s award winning youth kayak team, but I’m not sure.  I’ve tried a few times to contact one of the coaches of the team to get some info on them for the blog, but he hasn’t contacted me back yet.  If any of you know about this club and want to give me some insight, that’d be great!  As you can see, Gig Harbor is just a beautiful place.  And, as you can see, it’s not always wet weather in Gig Harbor.  The sun does shine!  Kayaks and boats are even available for rent if you are just in town for the weekend and want to get out on the water!

Lost and found in Gig Harbor

Walking along the Gig Harbor waterfront yesterday afternoon, I saw this little glimpse into why I love this area so much.  Hanging on the cross walk buzzer was this cute little girls’ baseball cap.  Not that Gig Harbor is the only place where this would happen, and not that it’s a huge deal, but how nice that rather than just let the cap sit on the sidewalk or in the road, and rather than picking it up and keeping it, somebody set it in a secure, easy to see location.  I love living in a town where people tend to look out for each other, where community means something, and where neighbors try to be neighborly.  It’s really a fun feeling.

If you want to experience living in Gig Harbor, give me a call.  I’d love to chat with you and find out if this may be the place for you to live!

Rights vs. Responsibilities

So often I hear agents blaming other agents, buyers blaming sellers, sellers blaming buyers, loan officers get blamed by everyone, and so on and so forth.  What am I getting at here?  I’m afraid that in our society, many people have become more focused on their rights and what they feel they deserve than on their responsibilities. 

This isn’t a religious blog, but we had an interesting teaching in our church a few weeks ago that focused on the very popular passage in Colossians 3 (”wives, submit to your husbands, husbands love your wives”).  The main point was that often times this passage is used by husbands to justify what their wives should be doing for them, and by wives to point out what their husbands owe to them, missing the main point that this has nothing to do with the other spouse but rather with your own responsibility.

It made me think not only of my relationship with my wife, but also my relationship with my clients.  I chose to work at Keller Williams Realty in Gig Harbor because their core values were in line with my own.  Regardless of what others expect of me, or what I expect of others, all that I can control is making sure that I do what I said I’d do.  As an agent, I make certain promises to my clients, lenders, other agents and their clients, etc.  Making sure that I live up to those promises is all that I need to be worried about. 

I have the right to have my wife respect me.  That will happen if I live up to my responsibility of cherishing her.  I have the right to a good night of sleep.  That MAY happen if I fulfill my responsibilities to my daughter and meet her needs.  I have the right to expect that my clients will be loyal to me.  That will happen if I fulfill my responsibilities towards them.  I may believe that I have the right to expect that those who enjoy my blog will use my services when it comes time to buy or sell real estate.  If I continue to fulfill my responsibility of providing good, accurate, and relevant information that will happen. 

I try to watch The Cosby Show as often as possible (there’s no manual for parenthood, and other than The Bible, The Cosby Show is the next best thing I’ve found!) but it’s on from 4-5pm on weekdays so it’s not always possible.  I’m amazed, when I can watch, how many of the commercials are from lawyers urging me to know my rights and find somebody to sue for something.  I mean, certainly I’ve been wronged somehow, right?  Sure would be nice if our legal system focused more on each citizen fulfilling their responsibilities and not so much on capitalizing on our rights. 

I’d be curious to hear your thoughts.  Too idealistic?  Off target?  Am I wrong, or am I RIGHT?

Sunrise in Gig Harbor

I’ve posted several pictures of sunsets here in Gig Harbor.  I guess it’s always been easier, since my house is on the West side, so I see those more easily.  Gig Harbor gets some amazing sunrises, too.  The sun comes up over Mt. Rainier, and it can be spectacular.  I haven’t gotten nearly as many shots, or as nice of ones, of the sunrises, but here are a few fun ones of the sunrise and pre-sunrise. 

The first one is published here with permission from 1bluecanoe, a Gig Harbor photographer I’ve found online.  The other two are ones that I took, one from a house I sold near Sunrise Beach, the other from the parking lot of Chapel Hill Church.

Calling all Gig Harbor Historians!

Monkey see, monkey do…Monkey Tree, what’s the story with you?  Anybody walking along the downtown waterfront area of Gig Harbor is sure to have seen our very fun and very unusual Monkey Tree.  The tree sits right along the sidewalk of Gig Harbor’s downtown,  and is like no other tree I’ve ever seen in Gig Harbor.  If any of you have lived here longer than I, or somehow else know the story of this tree, I’d love to hear about it’s history.  How old is it?  How long has it been here?  Where are Monkey Trees usually found?  Are they really called Monkey Trees or have I always been calling it by a false name?  Any thoughts or knowledge?

What is your house…really?

I need to stop getting so caught up in these online forums that I read.  I just can’t believe how negative some people are about everything.  I’m not an outwardly giddy type of person, but some of these folks must just be miserable.  I jumped into the online world with the idea of providing information about my community to those who may want to move here and to those who already love it here.  I need to get back to that and away from arguing with folks about whether or not the economic sky is really falling.  Let me make one quick point, then on to the title of this post.  Real estate in Gig Harbor is not care free right now.  We have seen our market slow considerably, our inventory rise, new construction is popping up all around and for the most part not selling, which makes resale homes tougher to sell.  It’s very likely we’ll stay in this “slow” market for at least another year or two if not more.  The average working folks can’t afford the average priced house here with their average income.  Homes simply aren’t as affordable anymore.  That being said, Gig Harbor’s real estate market is WAY better off than the majority of the nation’s, and  more importantly, “What is your house…really?”

Is your house a short term investment?  If so, you may be in some financial trouble.  If your house is a long term investment, or (gasp) a HOME, then today’s real estate market really isn’t a concern of yours.  I keep hearing the NAR get slammed for saying that now is a great time to buy.  The argument I hear against that is that prices aren’t at their lowest yet, the market is still falling.  Am I the only one who is sitting shaking my head with my jaw dropped open when I hear that?

I can’t imagine going to a financial planner, telling them I just got a job and am ready to open an IRA to prepare for my future, and having them tell me, “WAIT!  The market may go down over the next year.  Try to time the market and THEN you can invest.”  Or, maybe I want to open a college fund for my baby so I’ll be ready in 18 years.  “NO!  Experts say the economy is weak and getting weaker.  WAIT until it hits bottom THEN invest.” 

Those examples don’t cut it for you?  That’s fine, they’re not necessarily the same thing.  So let’s try these.  My car dies, so I go to a car dealership to buy a new one.  “NO, WAIT!  We’re having a huge sale in June.  Don’t buy now, wait til prices drop and THEN buy.”  Or maybe I’m going to Park City, UT, for a ski vacation and go to buy a new winter coat ’cause I don’t need one here.  “NO!  Coats will go on sale once the weather warms up.  Don’t buy one now, you’ll pay too much.”

What am I getting at here?  I want to know what your house is to you…really.  My house falls into two categories.  One, it’s a long term investment.  We bought the home in July of ‘07, and I can’t imagine leaving before 5 years, and can easily see us here 10 or more years.  Secondly, my house is a HOME.  It’s where I brought my daughter home for the first time.  It’s where my dog greets me when I come home each day.  It’s a big fenced yard where my dog runs and chases his toys while my baby giggles and screams at him.  It’s where I get to watch my wife make her incredible lasagna and really good, life-long friends sit and enjoy it and swap baby stories.  It’s where I sit right now, with a gorgeous view of the trees and blinding blue sky out my window while I get this rant off my chest.  Do I care about it’s value now compared to 6 months ago?  Do you think I care that if I had only waited another 8 months and bought today rather than last summer I may have saved $15,000 (of course, somebody much smarter than I would have bought it in August and I would drive by each day realizing I gave up my dream home in an attempt to time the market).  No, I don’t care one bit about that.  I’m also not even a little bit worried that in 5 or 10 years from now, my house won’t have appreciated and I’ll have lost money. 

Listen, if you’re a seller in today’s market, it’s going to be tough.  Buyers have a lot to choose from, and more importantly, buyers are scared due to all the doom-sayers so they’re just not buying as readily now.  It doesn’t mean you can’t sell a home.  It doesn’t mean you’re going to take a wash on your home.  It means you need to get your home in  perfect condition and price it right, probably lower than you want, probably lower than what many real estate agents will tell you, probably lower than you would have 6 months ago. 

If you’re looking to move to Gig Harbor, or you want a bigger house in Gig Harbor, or your current house on the Gig Harbor waterfront is too big and you’re looking to downsize to a condo, or any number of other possibilities, it really IS a good time to buy.  Why?  Because you’re ready. And because real estate in this area has always proven to be a good long term investment.  And because renting a home, moving twice, and paying somebody else’s mortgage doesn’t sound fun to you.  And because you want to make memories in YOUR home.  I’m not saying that prices are at their lowest.  Maybe they are, maybe they aren’t.  I don’t know what interest rates are going to do, or what the government is going to come up with.  I know that I’m happy in my home.  I’m glad I’m paying my mortgage and not somebody else’s.  I’m glad I feel proud that I’m a homeowner, and even though I can barely swing a hammer I could do whatever I wanted to this house to make it reflect me.  If you’re thinking of relocating to Gig Harbor, or any real estate deals are in your future, don’t listen to the Chicken Littles of our society.  Best not to listen to the scared real estate agents who are screaming everything is okay, either.  Listen to your instincts, your intellect after you’ve done your homework, and a realistic Realtor, and make your own decision.

I’m curious…what is your house to you…really?  Any fun stories or memories?  Any horror stories of how it’s cost you money or wasn’t the home you thought it was?  I’m just curious how others see their homes.

Where to get dinner in Gig Harbor?

I’m not much of an escargot fan…I don’t even know if I spelled that right.  If you’re looking for fancy dining in Gig Harbor, you have a few options.  I’ll highlight those options at another time.  This guy found a nice snail dinner along Ray Nash Drive, at the home of a friend and client.   To really appreciate the series, you should see it in full size.  Click here  and click “All Sizes” to view it larger.  Thanks for the photos, John!

Gig Harbor Photos

This has been a tough week.  I have a 5 month old baby who won’t sleep anymore, sold 2 homes that got a little rough at the end, and am feeling behind on work.  Living in Gig Harbor has a way of washing away some stresses.  Prayer is a powerful thing in my book, and recently it seems as though my prayers have been falling on deaf ears, but at least I get to pray them in places like this!  Below are some photos that were emailed to me by one of my readers.  Thanks Mark!

Slow Down! Go for a walk in Gig Harbor

I don’t know why I get such a kick out of this photo, but it cracks me up.  I was walking with Sebastian through Canterwood Golf and Country Club yesterday, and when I got about 20ft away, this radar actually picked up my speed!  Since nobody was around, I kept going back and forth, trying to see how high I could get it.  At one point, I had it up to 12MPH, but it’s really tough to take a clear picture at those speeds.  I could have gone faster, but Seb’s getting old (if you believe that one…).

This afternoon the whole family went for a walk along the Gig Harbor waterfront.  Sunny skies and temps in the mid 50’s meant that there was no shortage of folks out for a walk.  Gig Harbor’s downtown is just one of many great places to slow down and take a stroll in this beautiful town.  It may be the most popular spot.  About 2 miles of waterfront with shops, sidewalks, and beautiful views the entire way make this an ideal spot to walk.  Sebastian is very courteous and moves off of the sidewalk when other people are approaching, stays close by my side when other doggies come near (even when their owners let them stray to the ends of their elastic leashes), and never litters the sidewalk with…well, you know what I mean.  I’m sure that the dog owners who let their dogs meander aimlessly back and forth across the sidewalks, approaching and sniffing everybody and every dog they see, making messes on the sidewalks, aren’t trying to be inconsiderate, I’m sure they’re just pre-occupied with the beauty of the walk. 

Here are a few more shots of our walk this morning.  Where are some of your favorite places to walk or favorite Gig Harbor walking stories?

See the light in Gig Harbor

My family and I took a late afternoon walk along the Downtown Waterfront of Gig Harbor yesterday, and I had a fun realization.  As we passed a store that was closed, I noticed their hours said they closed at 5pm.  “Is it really after 5?” I asked.  Sure was…and it was still light. 

Winters in Gig Harbor can be long, as darkness sets in during the 4 o’clock hour.  Summers are a whole different story as it stays light from 5am til nearly 10pm.  It was fun to realize that it was staying lighter longer, the temp was in the 50’s…spring is coming.  If you have ever wanted to visit Gig Harbor, spring is a wonderful time as things will soon be blooming.   Spring is coming!